


Playback

by quiet__tiger



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Character Death, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Voicemail, answering machine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 18:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10702722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiet__tiger/pseuds/quiet__tiger
Summary: Clark holds on to what he has left of Bruce.





	Playback

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "After life."
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal Jun. 20th, 2009.

_It’s me, just calling to remind you to wear the red tie. See you tonight._

Rewind. Play.

_It’s me, just calling to remind you to wear the red tie. See you tonight._

Rewind. Play.

_It’s me, just calling to remind you to wear the red tie. See you tonight._

It was unhealthy. Clark knew that.

That didn’t mean he would be able to stop.

Rewind. Play.

_It’s me, just calling to remind you to wear the red tie. See you tonight._

The message was left on his answering machine weeks ago, and Clark hadn’t bothered to erase it. And now he never would.

Rewind. Play.

_It’s me, just calling to remind you to wear the red tie. See you tonight._

Clark had recordings of Bruce from various functions and missions and parties. Even video. But this message was just for him, reminding him to wear the red tie because Bruce liked the way it looked on him.

Just for him. Sounding actually happy for once and not distracted or grim or demanding. Maybe he was even being slightly suggestive, considering what they used that tie for afterwards.

As long as that message existed, a part of Bruce would still be his. Sure, there was the shirt and pants and other bric-a-brac Bruce left in his apartment, and the stuff left for Clark in his will. But Bruce’s voice, that could never be replaced or reproduced.

Anything could happen to Bruce’s things, but his voice would always be in Clark’s head, in his heart. He’d always be with him.

Rewind. Play.

_It’s me, just calling to remind you to wear the red tie. See you tonight._

Taking a deep breath and swallowing his emotion, Clark tied that red tie using the fancy knot Bruce liked. The memorial service was in an hour, and he wanted to look his best. Make Bruce proud.


End file.
